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R vs L minimal pairs

For English R the tongue tip curls back or bunches without touching anything; for L it presses firmly against the ridge behind your upper teeth. The contrast is difficult for speakers of Japanese, Korean and several Chinese languages, where the two sounds are not separate. Listen for the tongue contact: L has it, R does not.

Accent

15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

rice
lice
right
light
road
load
rock
lock
grass
glass
pray
play
fry
fly
correct

More lists like this

V vs W minimal pairs
Vest or west, vine or wine. Practise the lip position that separates English V from W.
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Confusing word pairs
Affect and effect, desert and dessert, accept and except. Similar words, different sounds.
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Number and date words
Thirteen or thirty? Fifteen or fifty? The stress is the only clue. Hear the pairs contrasted.
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Long vs short vowel pairs
Ship or sheep, full or fool, pull or pool. Hear the tense and lax vowel pairs side by side.
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Voiced TH words
The buzzing TH in this, that and mother. Feel your vocal cords vibrate on every one of these.
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Voiceless TH words
The soft breathy TH in think, three and mouth. No vocal cord buzz, just airflow over the tongue.
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.